Dennis Martin

Dennis W. Martin

1939 – 2024

Dennis died quietly in his sleep on November 8 th , 2024. He was 85. The official cause of death was a failing liver and kidneys. Or as Dennis would have said, “old age”. 

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Lerice, and his two children, Karen Hardaway (John) of Portland, Oregon, and Sam Martin (Nieves) of Massachusetts, and two grandchildren, John Hardaway, Jr. and Alex Martin-Romero. 

Also left behind to tell plenty of good “Denny stories” are his brother Rick (Joy) and sister Barb (Craig), as well as niece Amanda (David), nephew Roger (Kelly), and each of their three children. On Lerice’s side of the family, he is survived by his sister-in-law, Margie Spikes (Tom), her children Mindy and Chris, and their children.

He was predeceased by his youngest brother, Lee (Anjala), and brother-in-law, Tom. Dennis was born on August 28 th , 1939, to Wendell and Eleanor Martin in Cornucopia, Oregon, a tiny gold mining town in Eastern Oregon. He graduated from LaGrande Senior High in 1957 and from Oregon State University in 1966 with a BS in Forest Management. His service in the US Army from 1962 to 1964 included one year in Korea, and he was separated as a 2nd Lt.

He and Lerice met while she was working at The Wheel restaurant in LaGrande, where he and his smoke jumping buddies were taking a break from parachuting into forest fires; the two got married in Union, Oregon, on May 29, 1965.

Dennis’ work took them first to British Columbia, Canada, where he was employed by a private timber company for about a year. They then moved to Baker, Oregon, where he began his career with the US Forest Service, serving for some 37 years on a number of National Forests in various positions in Oregon, Idaho, and California; his final eleven years were as Forest Supervisor of the Inyo National Forest in Bishop, California.

He and Lerice retired to Eugene, where they have spent the past nearly three decades; the gray, wet Willamette Valley was much brightened by the warmth of their good friends, including Len and Kathie, Bob and Jeri, and Jim and Donna. 

When they weren’t in Eugene, Dennis and Lerice would often go travelling, something they both thoroughly enjoyed, eventually visiting more than 40 countries in Europe, the UK, South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Among the many things Dennis will be remembered for: his deep voice and scary-stern face (which would often crinkle into an endearing smile or dissolve altogether in a tickled fit of laughter); a preciseness of mind (and handwriting); being a mean card and pool player and dedicated golfer; his interest in history, particularly WWII; his enjoyment of both spy novels and weightier tomes; a fondness for watching PBS news shows and TV sports (baseball especially); and doing his best to be a good husband, a good father, and a good man.

At Dennis’ request, his ashes will be scattered at Cornucopia in summer, 2025.